This invention relates to a poultry washing and scalding system and process in which poultry is conveyed through a scalder and thereafter through a washer for substantially removing contaminated particles from the poultry. Contaminated liquid is removed from the washer, bypasses the scalder to avoid scalder contamination, and is sanitized and recirculated.
As known, a scalder is utilized as part of a poultry processing operation so as to heat the skin of the bird to loosen the feathers allowing the feathers to be plucked at a station after the birds leave the scald tank. The bird's feathers act as insulation preventing heat from reaching the skin.
In immersion scalding the birds are carried by an overhead conveyor hanging by the feet and are immersed in a hot bath of water. The water is heated and agitated by air injection in the bottom of the scalder or by pumps moving large volumns of water that flow over the birds. During the scalding process the skin and feathers are heated by the heat transfer of hot water (124.degree. to 142.degree. F.) into the bird.
The aforementioned patents disclose immersion scalders which substantially avoid cross-contamination of the birds, and in which the scald water is cleaner as it is filtered and sanitized during recirculation. By screening and filtering the recirculated water a substantial amount of coarse materials such as sand and wood chips are removed from the water. With these particles removed from the water recontamination caused by unfiltered water passing through the bird feathers, is substantially avoided. Therefore, by sanitizing the water surface bacteria on the skin will be lower and there will be less of such bacteria for the picking machines to beat into the bird after leaving the scalding operation.
Despite the successes achieved through my patented systems and processes, it is desirable to even more throughly clean and sanitize the birds before entering the feather picking station. Should any surface bacteria remain on the skin of the birds after leaving the scalder, the surface bacteria tends to enter the birds through the skin holes created after the feathers are plucked by the pickers.